Western mouse

Pseudomys occidentalis

Blamed on cats

IUCN status: Near Threatened

EPBC Predator Threat Rating: High

IUCN claim: “This species is threatened by predation by feral cats, which are known to be predators of mammals of this size”

Studies in support

No studies

Studies not in support

No studies

Is the threat claim evidence-based?

There are no studies linking cats to western mice.

Evidence linking Pseudomys occidentalis to cats. Systematic review of evidence for an association between Pseudomys occidentalis and cats. Positive studies are in support of the hypothesis that cats contribute to the decline of Pseudomys occidentalis, negative studies are not in support. Predation studies include studies documenting hunting or scavenging; baiting studies are associations between poison baiting and threatened mammal abundance where information on predator abundance is not provided; population studies are associations between threatened mammal and predator abundance. See methods section in [current submission] for details on evidence categories.

References

Current submission (2023) Scant evidence that introduced predators cause extinctions.

EPBC. (2015) Threat Abatement Plan for Predation by Feral Cats. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, Department of Environment, Government of Australia. (Table A1).

IUCN Red List. https://www.iucnredlist.org/ Accessed June 2023